Suction cleaner



1=b.19,193s.` CARLSON 1,991,975

SUCTION CLEANER Filed oct. 21, 195s 2 sheets-sheet 1 6 Vrnon E'Carlon ATTORNEY Feb. 19, 193s. v, CARLSON 1,991,975

' SUCTION CLEANER Filed oct. 21, 1953 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR Vernon E. Carlson ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 149, 1935 'i i UNITED STATES .PA'liizNTl opp-ICE SUCTION CLEANER.

Vernon E. Carlson, Canton, Ohio, assig'nor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a cox'- p'oration of Ohio f Application october 21, 193s, serial No. 694,562 4 claim.v (or 15-179l The present invention relates to suction cleaneffecting an adjustment -oi the bristle height ers in general and particularly to lnew and novel above that body. These and other more specific improvements in rotary agitators for suction objects will appear upon reading the following cleaners. More specifically theinvention comspecilcation and claims and upon considering prises the provision, in a suction cleanerA rotary in connection therewith the -attached drawings 5 agitator. of a reversible brush construction to which they relate. which makes possible the seating of the brush at Referring now to the drawings, in which a prea plurality of heights relative to the lnormal ferred embodiment 0f the present invention 1S surface of the agitator. A disclosed:

' 'Present day suctiony cleaner rotary agitator Figure 1 iS e SidevieW 0f a Suction cleaner emdesign requires that `the agitator'be provided .abodying the present invention with a casing of with both rigid beating and flexible brushingl the cleaner .partially broken-away and Showing elements. 1 The' life of the bristles of the brushthe agitator positioned within the cleaner nozzle; 'ing element is dependent upon the quality of the Figure 2 iS a Side elevation 0f en agitator oonbristles and also upon the type of service in which Structed in accordance With the present@ nVen- 15 the cleaner is used. The rigid beating elementl tion With certain parte broken away; of the agitator has an indefinite life which may Figure 3 iS e portici5 croSS Section through the be said to be that of the cleaner itself. In the agitator showing the brush positioned in its well designed rotary .agitator the rigid beating Second or reversed position;

element and the flexible brushing element Aex- Figure 4 iS a croSS Section upon the line 4-4 0f 20 tend to substantially the same height above the Figure ,2; normal surface of the agitator body. stated dif- Figure 5 is a section upon the line 5-5 of ferently, they extend to substantially thecsame Figuref3 radial distance from the axis of rotation. In use Figure 6 iS a Section upon the line 6-6 0f the brush bristles wear away resulting in a de- Figure 35 v 2 crease in their Yradial projection, La condition Figure '7 iS a Section 1111011 the line 7-7 of which if not remedied causes the brushes to cease Figure 3;

to be a factor in the cleaning operation. The Figure 8 iS a View in Perspective 0f ebruSh elebrush element used in the modern suction cleaner ment Constructed in accordance with the present 3Q is a replaceable unit of relatively small cost and invention removed from its Seat in the agitator 30 o it has been the practice to remove and replace it body; when worn and ineiective. Certain agitators Figure 9 iS atoD- VieW of the brush eiemelit- Y have been designed nwhich provide complicated mine drawings and in Figure i-in Particular mechanismsv to adjust the effective brush bristle an agitator oorisiruoted in accordance With the length, but because of the relatively small cost Present invention isoshoWn embodied in modern of the brushes this has not been commercially Suction oieoner- The agitatoris indicated generfeasible. h ally by the reference character 1 and is shown In the agitator constructed in accordance with Positioned Within the nOZZle 2 Of the cleaner. A the present invention the brush element itself Suction-Creating fon 3 Within the fari chamber' 4 and its seat in the agitator body are so formed is driven by an unshown motor within the motor 40 and'designed as to cooperate to give an eiieocasing 5 and functionsto draw Cleaning air betive bristle height which can be` changed by a tween the surface-Contacting nozzle lips 6 and 7. simple adjustment of the brush'relative to its into the 11022182, through the air passageway 8,

seat. and exhausts same from the fan vchamber 4 into 4 5 Itis an object of the present invention 'to prothe exhaust outlet 9 to which is removably at- 45 vide a new and improved suction cleaner rotary tached en ordinary dust bagl. The cleaner is agitator.' A further object is to provide a new removably Supported by front and rear Wheels 11 and improved rotaryjagitator with removable and 12 and, as in the usual Suction cleaner. a brushes. Still another object is the provision of Divoted handle 13 is Provided by Which an operaa'- rotary agitator with a reversible brush element tor Ina-y exert a propelling force. 50

for a. suction cleaner. A still further object is The agitator 1, the construction of which comthe provision, in a suction cleaner, of a rotary prises the present invention, is formed of an e1on, agitator which comprises a brush which is gated cylindrical body 15 which is rotatably supadapted to be placed in a plurality of positions ported at each of its ends upon the stationary relative to the agitator body for ,the purpose of through supportingshait 16 by means of a bear- 6 5 the shoulder 31.

ing 17. A stationary thread guard member 18 is carried by the threaded end of the shaft and overlies the end of the cylindrical body 15 to prevent the accumulation of hair and foreign matter about the supporting bearing. A surface of reduced diameter forms a pulley 19 substantially centrally of the agitator body and seats a driving belt 20 which extends rearwardly through the passageway 8 to the driving pulley 21 carried Aat the lower end of the motor shaft below the suction-creating fan 3. The usual type of rigid beating element 22 yextends helically upon the surface of the body 15 from end to end thereof, excepting of course the pulley surface 19. Upon the opposite side of the pulley 19 and extending longitudinally of the body are re-entrant seat portions or channels 25, 25, which are constructed in a definite manner and are adapted to receive and seat removable brushes 26, 26, each of which includes an elongated rigid back 27 which carries tufts of flexible bristles-28, 28 etc.

The opposite ends of the channels 25, 25 are provided with openings, as is clearly seen in Figures 2 to 6, inclusive. At one end, the outer, as seen in Figures 4 and 5, the top of the open end of the brush channel is dened by spaced shoulders 30, 30 between which is formed an upwardly extending recess the top of which is defined by The opposite or inner end of the channel 25 is also open at its top being defined by a single shoulder 32, as is clearly seen in Figure 6. As is evident from comparing Figures 4, 5 and 6, the shoulder 32 is at a height in the brush channel 25 midway between shoulders 30, 30 and shoulder 31.

A removable brush 26 is adapted to be received inthe channel 25 with its ends extended into the openings thereof, and is also adapted to be removed therefrom and reversed end for end. rThe insertion and removal of the brush is accomplished by moving the brush in the direction of the pulley l and further into the opening in that end of the channel, therebypermitting the opposite end of the brush back to disengage from its opening and move upwardly. The insertion of the brush is exactly the reverse operation. In order to accomplish a brush-height adjusting function upon the brush being reversed end for end the ends of N the rigid back 27 of the brush are also shaped in a denite manner, so that they cooperate with the' ends of the channel 25. As is seen in Figures 8 and 9, one end of the rigid back 27 is formed with a transverse shoulder 35 which extends the entire width of the back. 'Ihe opposite end of the back 27 is piovided with a centra; shoulder 36 which extends only partly there across and is at a greater height thereon than is the.

shoulder 35. 'I'he difference between the heights of the shoulders 35 and 36 on the back is exactly that which exists between the shoulders 31 and 32 at the opposite ends of the channel 25. With the brush inserted within the channel in either of its two positions it is contacted along its bottom by a resilient spring 40 which urges it radially outward or upward and the end shoulders' thereof into contact with the shoulders dening the tops of the endopenings of the channel.

Referring now to Figure 2 of the drawings in particular, the removable brush-26 isshown positioned in the agitator body in its lower or new brush position. In that position the upper shoulder 36 of the brush back underlies the pulley end or inner shoulder 32 in the channel. Lower shoulder 35 at the opposite end of the back underlies the spaced shoulders 30, 30. In'Fisure 3 the brush has been reversed end for end and the lower shoulder 35 on the back underlies the inner shoulder 32 of the channel while the upper shoulder 36 of the back has Abeen positioned within the recess at the outer end of the channel and contacts the upper shoulder 3l at that f end. Brush shoulder 36 has been moved radially outward in the brush body by a distance equal to the difference in height between inner channel shoulder 32 and outer channel shoulder 31. Brush shoulder 35 at the opposite end of the brush has been moved radially outward an equal distance as the difference in height between shoulders 30, 30'and shoulder 32 is equal to the difference existing between shoulders 32 and 31. The brush is seated parallel to the agitator axis in all positions as the difference in height of supporting channel shouldersjs equal to thedifference in height of the shoulders on the brush back.-

When the machine is originally sold the brushes are positioned within the agitator in the position shown in Figure 2. After usage of the machine has worn the bristles so that the4 brush no longer performsits function it is an easy matter to remove the 'brush from the agitator, reverse it end Vbristle projection.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner, a body having a brush .f

seat, a shoulder extendedacross one end of said seat, a pair of vertically and transversely spaced shoulders at the opposite end of said seat, a brush comprising a back adapted to be positioned in a plurality of positions in said seat, a shoulder ex-l tended across one end of said back, a shoulder at a different height extended partially across the opposite end of said back and arranged to underlie the upper of said spaced shoulders only in one brush position, said shoulders on said back being adapted to selectively'co-operate with said shoulders in said seat to position said brush, the construction being characterized by the fact that upon reversal end for end of said brush in said seat said brush assumes a different height in said seat.

2. In a suction cleaner agitator, a body having a brush seat below its surface, .said seat having openings at its ends adapted to receive the ends of a brush back, one of said openings having itsll upper limitdeilned by a single shoulder, the others opening having its upper limit denned by a plurality of shoulders two of which are vertically and transversely spaced, 1 a brush including aback adapted to be positioned' in said seat and having ends adapted to selectively contact said shoulders, one end of said back having a shoulder adapted to contact the lower shoulder at that end of said seat having a plurality of shoulders, the opposite end of said back having a shoulder adapted to slide past said lower shoulder and contact a higher shoulder, said brush being positioned at different heights in its two positions.

3.In a suction cleaner, a body having a brush seat, a brush including a back and bristles positioned in said seat, back-seating xneansy at one end of said seat, contacting` means on said back seating on said seating means, cooperating seating and contacting means at the opposite \end of said seat and back extended only partially across said seat, second back-seating means spaced vertically and laterally from said cooperating seatseat being twice the vertical distance between either of said meaons and the back-seating means at the opposite end of said seat, said back being reversible in said seat, the contacting means on said back seating on said second back-seating means in the reversed position.

4. In a suction cleaner, a body having a. brush seat, a shoulder defining the top of an opening at one end ot said seat, spaced shoulders defining a part of the top of an opening at the opposite end of said seat, a. third shoulder higher in said seat than said spaced shoulders and positioned therebetween and cooperating therewith to define said opening. a brush in said seat having a rigid back extended the length of'said seat and into said openings, a relatively wide shoulder atone end of said back adapted to underlie and contact said spaced shoulders in one position of said brush in said seat, and a relatively narrow shoulder at the opposite end of said back adapted to extend between said spaced shoulders and contactsaid third shoulder'in the reversed of said brush in said seat.

VERNON E. CARLSON. 

